


Start of a Friendship

by VanillaMostly



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaMostly/pseuds/VanillaMostly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Even at school I used to avoid eating at a crowded table. Frankly, I’d probably have sat alone if Madge hadn’t made a habit of joining me.</i> -Catching Fire</p><p>Why Madge decided to sit with Katniss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Start of a Friendship

"Look, it's her."

"She acts like nothing happened. Did you hear what she said to Miss Prius?"

"Everyone heard. She got sent to the principal. I wonder if they used the cane."

"What do you think, Madge?"

Madge glanced up from her soup and looked over to the person Hanna and Irene were currently discussing. "Don't stare!" squealed Irene. "Try to be subtle," hissed Hanna.

Madge ignored them. "Katniss Everdeen," she said thoughtfully, looking at the brown-haired girl with the braid down her back. Katniss was on her way to a table - an empty one - and as she moved to sit she seemed to feel Madge's stare. Their eyes met briefly before Katniss turned away.

"You know her?" asked Hanna, shocked.

I know her father just died in a mine explosion, thought Madge. I watched my dad give her a medal like that'd make everything okay.

But Madge just said, "I've seen her around."

Madge wanted to leave it at that, except Hanna wouldn't let it go. "The principal ought to expel her," she said in a lowered voice. "Girls like her are bad influences."

Irene nodded, peeling her orange. "School is wasted on Seam kids anyway since they'll just end up working in the mines."

"Your father is the mayor, Madge, maybe you should talk to him about it."

Something mad came over Madge as she dropped her spoon with a loud clank and declared, "You two make me sick."

She grabbed her bag and left Hanna and Irene open-mouthed at the table.

**

The next day Hanna and Irene gave Madge the cold shoulder and whispered darkly behind Madge's back. Madge didn't care, though. All along she'd suspected they hung with her only because their parents wanted to kiss up to Madge's father. Don't think Madge was that stupid. And she was tired of holding back her thoughts and saying only what her "friends" wanted to hear.

Yes, Madge was free now and it was refreshing. But when lunch rolled around, fact was fact. Madge now had nowhere to sit.

Well, she could sit with Peeta Mellark and Delly Cartwright and those people. They were pretty nice although Madge didn't know them too well. Or...

Her eyes roamed around the cafeteria and landed on a dark brown braid.

Madge had heard the rumors: Katniss Everdeen talked back to her history teacher. Katniss Everdeen is a bitch. Katniss Everdeen hates everyone. Katniss Everdeen thinks she's so much better.

But when Madge heard the name Katniss Everdeen, all she saw in her head was that skinny young girl climbing the stage, clutching the hand of her little sister on one side and supporting her dazed mother on the other.

Throughout the ceremony Katniss Everdeen never shed a tear, but the way she bit her lower lip said she wanted to so bad.

Strong, fierce, and kind, for Madge had seen how Katniss smiled at her sister.

Madge made her way to that table.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of Madge feels ok... which sucks because my fics with her in it never go anywhere. Thus I'm keeping this one short.


End file.
